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By Ruben Jay C. Alverez JR. As HIV cases in the Philippines continue to rise , several groups of people have stepped up in helping the community to address the epidemic. LoveYourself, since 2011 has gathered over 900 volunteers supporting the day-to-day operations, programs, and projects of the organization. As it empowers more people to get tested for HIV, the organization grew the need for full-time employees to sustain itself. Some people had the courage and passion to take their advocacies to the next level and work in a non-profit organization while helping the community as volunteers. Karlo Barsales, Clinic Manager Karlo, was a private duty nurse in Pampanga  when he joined LoveYourself as a volunteer in 2015. He was so passionate in taking care of people that he used to go straight to LoveYourself Anglo from his workplace to volunteer his time in administrative tasks. Karlo, who was not a counselor then, enjoyed assisting people to feel comfortable in the center. Karlo recal...

We chat with one of LoveYourself’s most dedicated volunteers, who proves that a positive perspective and can-do attitude go a long way. By Teejay Castro Jemuel Titan , more popularly known as “Jamie Well Titan,” or just simply “Jem,” has been consistently counseling for more than a year as a volunteer at LoveYourself. His dedication to guiding others in finding out their HIV status has made him one of the top counselors of LoveYourself Anglo, having helped over three hundred clients. More than being a dedicated volunteer, there is something in Jem that makes anyone feel at ease with him. His exuberant personality and bright smile make it seem that he is always having a good time. His enthusiasm for the advocacy has given him much opportunity to shine and to learn - beyond counseling, he has consistently helped out in this year’s Incognito and Incognito 2.0 mass testing events. His inclination to arts and crafts has produced numerous adorable bead creations that are used as ornaments a...

Roberto Pinauin is what you would call an expert in his field, having spent almost two decades in NGO work. But with his new role as a LoveYourself life coach, he experiences a kick that only going back to basics can bring. "It sounds almost vain and messianic, but that's what people are looking for when they get into socially oriented activities – having that one-on-one contact. Even if you only get to experience that once a week, you know you're doing something concrete." By Jean Natividad   It was a day to stay vivid in Robert's memory until many years later. "I was working in South Africa and visiting a hospice. This was palliative care for people who were about to die, at the time when South Africa was the epicenter of the HIV epidemic," he recalls. "I touched a woman who was in the bed. She then jerked away from me and started crying." The woman had not had any physical contact with a non-health worker in so long – Robert soon found out ...